With Whose Reality are You Living?
But wait, pause, think for a moment before you answer that question with “Well, of course, with my own.” Many, many years ago one of my mentors was pastoring a very conflicted congregation in which several members had no filters when it came to telling him about how things ought to be and how they […]
S.O.A.P Bible Study
What is S.O.A.P.? S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. It is a way of getting more out of your time in God’s word. Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope, Oahu introduced us to this devotional study plan … and be fair, I use a form of it almost every day. How does it work? […]
Alternatives for Sunday School
In my book Dancing with Dinosaurs (1993) I predicted the end of adult Sunday school. Now we are seeing many new Southern Baptist Churches starting with no adult Sunday school and instead small groups that meet in the homes. Now it’s time to make another prediction which has already begun and will soon be a trend […]
Prayer for People Who Can’t Sit Still
My wife is a contemplative. I watch her pray and I have to wonder how she does it. Her eyes close, her face gets a serene, contended look on it, and she sits there. And sits there. Get help with your “Can’t sit still” prayer life. For hours. Then there’s me. I don’t think I’ve […]
Discipleship is Our Focus
For as long as I can remember, most leaders consciously or unconsciously focused on receiving new members. Ask most pastors what size their church is, and most of them will tell you how many members they have. Low-commitment membership has been the emphasis for some time. In many cases people are hounded until they join […]